In the Junkyard Building
(Jesse phases through the door of the junkyard building to avoid making any noise. Creeping down the hall and through the office silently, until his shoe cracked on a piece of broken glass.)
Freezing Jesse hears a gasp come from his right. "Allie?" Jesse whispers, "Allie, its Jesse." Rounding another corner, he pauses. "I'm here to help." Jesse wonders if he really heard the gasp or if he's talking to himself…again. "Lexa wasn't really going to turn you in." Jesse steps forward venturing further, "She said that to protect you."
All of a sudden a voice came out of the darkness. "To protect me!?" Alyssa's voice startles Jesse and he sees her and rushes forward.
Alyssa screeches and puts her hand up in defense creating an energy field around her. Smacking right into it Jesse collides with the shimmering blue energy field and he bounces back landing on the floor with a thump.
"Ow! What was that for?" Holding his nose, "That hurt!"
"How do I know I can trust you?" Her voice sounded fainter and Jesse looks closely at Alyssa. Jesse was only five feet away and can see she was very ill. A nasty gash ran along the right side of her forehead leaving a trail of blood in her hair. She was shivering uncontrollably, teeth chattering loudly. Jesse wonders how he couldn't have heard them before.
"Lexa put the dominion off your trail. She lied so she could fake your death and have the dominion forget about you." Trying to convince Alyssa, Jesse went on, "So you would be safe."
"Alyssa?" Jesse's voice rises in panic as Alyssa's eyes start to close. "Alyssa!"
"I'm so tired, Jess. Everything hurts. My chest, it hurts to breath."
Jesse moves forward. Allie, let me in. I can help. We can bring you back to sanctuary and you will be safe." Jesse soothingly tries to convince Alyssa. "No one will hurt you. I won't let anyone." Jesse fiercely swears.
"Promise?" The question was so faint Jesse had to strain to hear it.
"Promise! I swear. No one is going to hurt my little sister!"
Suddenly the energy field was gone only leaving the air slightly charged. Jesse lunged forward just as Alyssa fell unconscious. Soon Jesse found the blood was coming from a wound in her side. Bruises covered her whole side.
"Concussion, knife wound, broken ribs, internal bleeding…" Jesse's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fighting outside. "Lexa, not you too." Jesse quickly scooped the girl up and phased through the side of the building with her just as someone entered the room.
Speaking through the com-link, "Lexa, I've got her. Get to the helix!"
"I'm on my way Jesse." Hears Lexa laser someone, "Just give me a sec." Then in the background Jesse hears Lexa say, "Take that you Bastards!" Before the connection was cut.
In the Helix
"How is she?" Jesse's urgent voice penetrates Lexa's concentration.
"Her breathing's gotten worse and her fever is hitting the roof. The faster we get the sanctuary the better." A quick glance at Jesse and Lexa knew that sugarcoating things a little might be a good idea. "Jesse, she'll be okay." Glances at Alyssa, "Just get us there quickly."
Starting to rant Jesse mumbles half to himself and half to Lexa. "…Can't believe I let this happen…my little sister…didn't' even know I had a little sister…" Lexa looks at Jesse and doesn't quite know what to do. For once she is at a loss for words. And Jesse continues, "damn dominion…assassins bur in-"
"-Jesse!" Lexa's sharp voice cuts into Jesse's spiel, for a while Lexa and Jesse ride in a tensed silence. The silence is only interrupted when a pained voice speaks.
"Jess," Cough "Jesse?" Alyssa's weak voice speaks and she looks around through the thick haze of fever. "Why is everything spinning?"
"Allie," Jesse's voice only barely penetrates through the swirling haze of a rising fever.
"Allie, Allie, Allie, Allie, Allie." The voice sounded so near yet she couldn't understand where the echo was coming from. She felt as if she was falling in space, floating in the sea and fighting a fierce wind all at once. Darkness started to creep at the edges of her vision just as a face came into view. 'Jesse,' she thought. 'No. Lexa!' Fear started to wash through her until she remembered Jesse's words. ' "…She said that to protect you…so you would be safe…I swear, no one is going to hurt my little sister!" Could it be true, that Lexa was safe. That I am safe with her?' Confusion was the last thought before her vision was completely engulfed by the darkness and she gave way to the serenity of sleep.
In the Lab
After helping Jesse the best she could, Lexa was forced like the others to do no more than stand aside helplessly. Watching had never been Lexa's strong point; she preferred to jump right in with both feet. 'If only I hadn't said those things to the contact…if only I had made sure the door was closed…if only…' If onlys flooded Lexa's brain until she could hardly stand it. What was worse was seeing Jesse frantically working on his little sister. Trying to save her life.
"Errrrrrrrr!"
"Screaming isn't gonna help." Brennan's voice came from behind Lexa.
"Brennan. This isn't a good time."
"Hey! I wasn't trying to start a fight." As Brennan left the room Lexa's thoughts couldn't help but return to Jesse and the thoughts of what if.
In the Living Room
(Shalimar and Brennan are across the room from Cassidy and Ian who are sitting silently.)
"Brennan, I'm really worried about Lexa."
"Lexa? Why Lexa, Jesse I can understand, Cassidy and Ian, sure, Alyssa, totally but…Lexa? Shal…" Gives Shalimar a questioning look.
"Listen, she blames herself for this-"
"Shal, I know you've started to become all buddy-buddy with Lexa but I still don't trust her and I defiantly don't feel sorry for her. She has to learn that her actions have consequences." Brennan looks at Shalimar bewildered.
"Brennan Mulwray! Sometimes I just don't get you." Shalimar looks at Brennan pityingly before walking over to see how Ian and Cassidy are holding up.
In the Lab
Jesse finally having nothing more to do sat in a chair fighting the overwhelming panic that threatened to engulf him. He stared intently at his little sister's small form.
'When she's better, I'm going to have her eat more. She's too skinny.' Caringly Jesse wiped a strange of Alyssa's hair off her face where the cut had once been. 'Thank goodness for Adam's gizmos.' Because of them most of the superficial cuts had been instantly healed, although the internal stuff was just barely under control. 'Another hemorrhage like that and I might not be able to save you. I'm not a doctor.' Jesse thoughts continued in a brooding silence. 'I hate this. What my father has done- creating you and then leaving you as if you didn't matter.' Jesse knew all to well how much his father only thought of himself. Never around when Jesse needed him as a child and then mysteriously showing up a few months ago begging for Jesse's help. Only it turned out he was only using Jesse. 'Dear dad, I hope you never meet your daughter. It would just hurt her. She's to good for you.'
"Jesse?" Lexa's voice cut into Jesse's thoughts, "Jesse," Lexa places a hand on his shoulder, "How is she?"
The genuine concern in Lexa's voice touched Jesse, but now was not the time to dwell on Lexa's baffling habits. One minute she'd be so blunt almost cold and calculating, but that was just a defensive cover. Then the next minute she'd be warm, funny and intelligent. It almost seemed as if he could get though to her. That they might even develop a relationship. Then she'd slip back always out of his grasp.
"Aside from a few broken ribs and bruises, she should be okay…that is if she doesn't start bleeding internally again." Jesse's cheerless voice cause Lexa to take Jesse's face in her hands.
"Jesse, listen to me. She will be okay. She's tough just like her big brother." The slight teasing tone makes Jesse's mouth turn up in a half smile.
"Maybe you're right." Looks over at Alyssa. "Just maybe."
(Twelve hours later)
Alyssa opened her eyes slowly then closed them. 'Lights, bright lights.' She thought, 'Wait, no pain. I don't feel any pain. Uh-oh, I'm not dead am I?' Quickly Alyssa opened her eyes and blinked a few times. 'Good, I'm not dead. I'm at a lab in sanctuary.' Turning her head to right she saw Jesse asleep in a chair, Lexa asleep right next to him. 'Awww! How cute.'
"Jesse. Lexa." Alyssa whispers. "Oh- I hate to wake them. They're so sweet." Alyssa whispers to herself.
A voice behind Alyssa startles her, "I know, they're adorable… and they are never going to forget it." Alyssa gives Shalimar a questioning look.
"I took pictures!" Shalimar replies in a delighted voice looking truly pleased with herself; like a child at Christmas who just got to sit on Santa's lap. "How are you feeling, you look better."
Yawns "I'm better, I don't hurt any more." Alyssa says hopefully, Yawns "Just a bit tired.
"Well, you just get back to sleep, okay?" Shalimar says stroking Alyssa's head.
"Shouldn't we wake Jesse and Lexa?"
"Nah, let the lovebirds sleep." Shalimar chuckles and is pleased when she gets a small giggle out of Alyssa.
"Night, Shal…"
"And she's out like a light," Brennan snaps his fingers when coming into the lab. "Jesse's going to be pleased when he wakes up." Brennan glances at the sleeping couple and consults Shalimar. "As for the Sleeping pair? Cold water should do the trick don't you think?" Brennan gives Shalimar an evil look and starts for the door.
"Brennan, don't you dare!" Shalimar hisses at Brennan and rushes after him.